A theorist, organist, and conductor, Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004), and did graduate work in Musicology. He serves as choirmaster for the new FSSP parish in Los Angeles, where he resides with his wife and children.

"In accord with no. 55 of the instruction of the Congregation of Rites on music in the liturgy (March 5, 1967), the Conference of Bishops has determined that vernacular texts set to music composed in earlier periods may be used in liturgical services even though they may not conform in all details with the legitimately approved versions of liturgical texts (November, 1967). This decision authorizes the use of choral and other music in English when the older text is not precisely the same as the official version."
— Catholic Bishops for the dioceses of the United States (November, 1969)

“It was the most wonderful experience I have had in a long time, for it both introduced me to knowledge which I could not otherwise easily acquire, and also connected me with the most wonderful people who brought a taste of the strength of the medieval musical school to the present day. I will be processing it for a long time, and hope that I will be able to retain even a fraction of the experience.”
—2018 Participant from New Hampshire

HEN IT COMES to making choir recordings, I go back and forth. On the one hand, microphones never accurately reproduce the true choral sound—the recorded sound is harsh and “flat” compared to the true choral sound we hear when physically present in the church. On the other hand, choir recordings can serve as a nice “memento” or “reminder” of wonderful experiences and awesome friends.

Here is a live excerpt from the final Symposium Mass, which took place last Friday evening. It is Kevin Allen’s AGNUS DEI conducted by Dr. Horst Buchholz:

About 450 people attended the Mass on Friday night—which is pretty amazing when you consider how most Americans choose to spend their Friday evening.

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